Avery Jenkins's Posts - www.DiscGolfersR.Us2015-03-31T22:40:29ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkinshttp://api.ning.com/files/4gUc0nun9aapjYlVRc7dZb0bE40ACESdxHNdJuAoSjQ_/l_6d6257ce8783e2892225bcce362bc53f.jpg?width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://discgolfer.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3qwr22fsosrw5&xn_auth=no2009 Disc Golf World Championships - Kansas City, KS/MOtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2010-03-11:1809917:BlogPost:21093552010-03-11T01:28:29.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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First I will start off by saying that I have been waiting a decade for a World Championships to be hosted in Kansas City. They showcase some of the best courses in the country and it is centrally located which gives more players the opportunity to attend. I was very prepared and focused to play well; it had been my best season to date and I…
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First I will start off by saying that I have been waiting a decade for a World Championships to be hosted in Kansas City. They showcase some of the best courses in the country and it is centrally located which gives more players the opportunity to attend. I was very prepared and focused to play well; it had been my best season to date and I wanted to make it all worth it. I came into this World Championships the most mentally prepared than any Worlds before. This was my year; it was my turn to win.<br />
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The 2009 Disc Golf World Championships started off at the Blue Valley Disc Golf Course, which is deemed to be the Longest Disc Golf Course in the world, measuring 11,049 feet with a par 66. It is a challenging course with multiple Par 4's and 5's throughout its rolling hills and well-manicured fairways. I really like the design of the Blue Valley course and really appreciate that the course designers incorporated many par 4’s and 5’s as well throughout the course. That is something that I have always believe makes a total course, when there are several holes that require 2 to 3 excellent placed shots in order to score well on certain holes. It offers the same concept and intentions as golf and I believe that it will soon be the standard in course design in our sport. It is by far my favorite course that we were playing at this year's Worlds because it was difficult to play for most and it fit into my strength of really airing it on almost every hole, allowing me to play very aggressively throughout the entire course.<br />
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It was a rainy, overcast day with the feeling of excitement in the air. I had the opportunity to watch players start out with the earlier tee times, as I got a late morning tee time giving me plenty of time to play some warm-up catch with Nate Doss in the parking lot. We also got the chance to throw some holes on a smaller 9 hole course that was installed on the property perpendicular to the massive Blue Valley Course, with some great up and down hill shots to get the feel of the elevation before heading for our rounds.<br />
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I was really excited to start this year's Worlds, it had been my best season thus far and I really wanted to make a statement with a strong finish, looking to best my 3rd place finish in 2006. I was looking forward to the round but wishing that the rain would eventually let up; it’s not like I needed any other factors to contribute to an already taxing round on one of the most challenging courses in the world. I was just looking for a break in the weather.<br />
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<center>The Putting was "On" at the World Championships</center>
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In the 1st round I had a slow start with par on the first 2 holes and was looking for something exciting to happen to get me fired up, waiting for such a moment is sometimes self initiated to really get things going. I blasted a pair of huge uphill shots on hole 3, getting a 50 foot uphill look for an eagle 3 on the difficult par 5 that I was more than prepared to hit. I smashed the huge eagle putt to get rolling and the feeling of taking over this round hit me. I continued to birdie the following long downhill par 4 and then experienced a birdie putt spit-out on Hole 5 due to the wet chains - it was a putt that would have stuck on a dry day. I shook it off and realized that I had well over 100+ holes to go in this week-long competition.<br />
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I then continued to birdie a majority of the holes throughout the first 14 holes to get to 10 under, making lots of big drives and long putts as the rain started to dissipate. It was all clear sailing from there on out. I smashed chains for Ace on the 400' downhill Hole 15 which lead to a drop-in birdie. I was really feeling it this round, and it was time to finish in style. I scored an easy par on Hole 16 and a routine birdie on the par 4 Hole 17 with a solid upshot to the pin. On the tee of 18, I tried to forget how I was shooting and what score I was actually at, which was not the easiest thing to do at this point. I threw a massive drive over the trees that set up another giant shot up the hill on this long par 5. It was now time to make a critical decision, but it was not a time to get greedy after playing such an aggressive round, so I made the smart play of laying the next shot up for the stress-free birdie to finish the round with a New Course Record of 53 (-13). I believe that that Course Record will stand for a long time.<br />
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It was exactly the statement that I wanted to make in the first round of Worlds, putting me exactly where I wanted to be - on top of the Leader Board to start. I relished the fact that I just shattered the old Course Record by 3 strokes and still felt that I could have shot better, even though the conditions were less than ideal, but it didn’t seem to affect my strategy for play on that course or my shot execution throughout that round. A few strokes at minimum, but that round still bested the rest of the field by 3 stokes overall, making it known that I was there to play, with Coda Hatfield sitting in 2nd shooting a 56.<br />
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The 2nd Round was an early 8 am start held at Rosedale Park, and it would be the only time that we would get to play this course as well. The Rosedale Course consists of wide open fairway shots for the most part with some woods, but what made the course challenging was that it was designed on a prominent elevated bluff that features steep drop-offs that punished errant shots. It was not the most difficult course in the World Championships, but it is a course that you have to score well on in order remain in a top position in the tournament. Plus we only got to see this course once and had no chance to get redemption on any of the holes if we missed them.<br />
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It was a slow start as it was very early in the day, and the long grass was completely soaked from all of the rain from the day before. The wet conditions also lead to many of the putting greens that were in the woods being surrounded by a slippery mud that seemed to cover the entire area around the baskets. I was driving great but only capitalized on a few birdies on the wooded front of the course. I picked up the pace a little on the wide-open back 9, where there was more opportunity to score. I finished by scoring birdie on 3 of the last 4 holes to shoot a 49 (-5), which was the 3rd hottest score, with a 47 by both Doss and Ulibarri being the best of that round. I was satisfied with my mediocre round knowing that it didn’t hurt my starting position as I increased my lead to 5 strokes after 2 rounds heading into Thornfield.<br />
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<center>Rosedale - Birdie Putt on Hole #18</center>
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The 3rd round was held at the Thornfield Course way South of Kansas City - a newly designed private course that was installed just for Worlds. It was a challenging course with a great mix of wooded and open holes; it had lots of tight, long drives off the tee followed by very technical putting greens. It had a variety of some par 4's and 5's that made the play a little more difficult, but it also had a few holes where it was almost better to opt to throw over the top of the trees instead of trying to take on the unreasonable fairway. It was again one of the courses that we would be only playing once, meaning that you had to play it great the first time because it was going to be the only time.<br />
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We had a late afternoon tee time starting at 2 pm, giving the players a lot of time in between our morning rounds at Rosedale - maybe almost too much time for most. It is sometimes difficult to get going again where you left off the morning round even hours later that same day, but it was Worlds and I needed to bring it at this course. I got the pleasure of playing with my good friends and past World Champions - David Feldberg and Nate Doss - and my good friend Paul Ulibarri. We were all looking to put on a show. I was on fire out of gates, picking up birdies on several of the early holes on the front. I really thought that I was starting to separate myself from the pack when I chased down a huge 70' footer for Eagle on Hole 5 soon after watching Doss knock down the same putt from about a foot to my left. The entire group scored an Eagle on the hole and we were all looking to play exceptionally well this round. I made another huge 50' footer for birdie on the extreme hyzer around the corner on Hole 13 and scored birdie on 2 of the final 5 holes to finish with a 50 (-10) for the round. I increased my lead to 7 strokes after the first 3 rounds and felt great about my first 2 days of the World Championships.<br />
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It was an amazing feeling to be in the lead by 7 strokes, but I tried not to really think about the magnitude of the event. I just wanted keep extremely relaxed when not playing and keep to my game plan that got me to the position that I was at. Its difficult not to think about the end result, but in reality, the tournament was not even at the halfway point. I knew that if I played the aggressive game that I know how, I would be tough to beat throughout the week.<br />
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The 4th round commenced at 8 am the next morning at one of my favorite courses in the country, Waterworks, not because of the length or difficulty of the course but because it has such a unique layout. This course is described as having many trees with lots of elevation changes, some of it quite extreme. It has a good combination of long, open holes and short, accurate ones. Waterworks is a beautiful park with stunning skyline views of downtown Kansas City and the Missouri River. I really enjoy playing this course because it offers lots of opportunity to score and rewards some uphill power drives; thankfully we would have another chance to play this course during the Semi-Finals round as well. It is definitely one of the marquee courses that we played during the World Championships and has always been a staple to many of the KC Wide Open tournaments of the past.<br />
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I also love the start of this course off Hole 1, and in my opinion it is the best starting hole in Disc Golf. It is a giant sloping hole over a valley with the basket sitting down to the left on an extreme downhill grade at about 550' with the beautiful cityscape of downtown Kansas City in the backdrop. I started the round by throwing a tremendous shot and skipping down to the pin settling about 35' feet away. I nailed the downhill death putt to start off the morning the right way. I was ready to really get things going as I shredded the front 9, shooting a dominant 5 under par to extend the lead. I showed no signs of letting up on the elevated back of the course, and I really took control of the round. I shot a 4 under with a bogey on 14; it was only my second bogey of the tournament. This was one of my best rounds that I have ever shot at Waterworks to finish with a 45 (-9) for the hot score along with Josh Anthon off the 2nd Card. I played great throughout the round and again extended my lead to 9 strokes after 4 rounds, and there was no looking back at this point….or so I thought.<br />
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<center>Cliff Drive - Approach Shot on Hole #6</center>
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The 5th round was our first round at the Cliff Drive course. I had actually practiced that course more than any other course that we would play throughout the week at Worlds. The course plays around the old municipal reservoir and is one of the highest points in Kansas City. It features a great mix of long open shots and some technical wooded holes, and this course also has lots of Out-of-Bounds areas on the Back 9. It’s a challenging course but it all comes down to throwing the shots when it counts mostThe round was supposed to start at 2 pm that afternoon, so we made sure that we got there at least an hour before to get in some warm-up holes. But due to a back-up on the course that afternoon, our round was postponed until 4 pm which actually meant that we arrived 3 hours before our round even started.<br />
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The waiting around that afternoon didn’t help with my focus and meant that it had been over 5 hours between the end of our first round in the morning and the start of the second round that day. I was definitely prepared for that course, but on the first 9 holes of the round my shots didn’t seem to pan out for me. I felt that I was trying so hard not to lose strokes when I had been playing to gain strokes on the field in previous rounds. I tried to keep it together on the longer second half of the course where I got the chance to open up on some distance shots, but I didn’t capitalize on some of the shorter holes coming down the stretch. It was definitely a lack of concentration, and I realized that I was not as focused as I had been in previous rounds due to the length of the day and the heat.<br />
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I approached the tee of Hole 17 thinking of ways to salvage that round, trying to forget about the total lack of focus and to stop trying to play off other players’ shots. Hole 17 is one of the most difficult holes on the entire course; it requires a perfectly placed drive and a very skillful upshot coming into an extremely slanted green with a drop off hill to the left leading straight to OB. I watched all 3 players before me throw some long roller shots down the hill ending up in great looks at the approach to the pin. I decided after watching their shots that I would divert from my original game plan and opt for the roller shot as well, but my shot took a few errant bounces and took an immediate right, rolling straight out of bounds. I was then left with about 180’ to the pin, and I went with a forehand shot and had the misfortune of having my approach shot hit next to the basket and taking a long roll down the hill OB. I then missed the putt and carded a 6 on the hole, my largest score of the entire tournament, giving a few of the players on my card 3 strokes on that one hole.<br />
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Out of frustration I missed the following upshot on Hole 18 to bogey out the round and scoring by far my worst round of the World Championships (What was your score for the round?). I soon realized that some other players, besides the ones on my card, had made incredible moves to the top cards as Josh Anthon made up 7 strokes during that round and Matt Orum made up 11 strokes on my lead by shooting a Course Record 45 (-9). I still remained in the lead by 2 strokes, making it even more of a highly-contested event from there on out.<br />
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That round proved to be the most crucial round of the tournament, a round that made me realize how truly bad I wanted to win despite giving up a sizeable lead to the rest of the field. My good friend and current World Champion, Dave Feldberg, had told me a story following that round how he had also lost the lead during the 2008 World Championships during the 5th round as well and still went on to win despite having to overcome such disappointment. I took that story to heart, and was not going to let that one round affect my play the rest of the tournament.<br />
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I tried to shake that round, but I only became angry when I thought about giving up such a lead to the rest of the field, because 2 strokes is not as comfortable as the 9 strokes that I began the round with, knowing that I had to play that very same course the next morning. I had another long talk with Nate Doss after the round, and he tried to calm me down telling me that I now had two choices at this point: I could let that round affect the rest of my tournament and let it quite possibly cost me the World Title, as it was exactly what the other players chasing me wanted to happen, or I could come out the following day and play like the Champion that I knew that I was, proving my power and strength to the entire field. I chose the second option as I knew that this battle was far from over, and I was sure that wanted to win more than anyone.<br />
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<center>Getting Ready to Battle for the World Title</center>
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As I came out for the 6th round the following morning, I was ready to fight for what was rightfully mine. It was another early 8 am start out at the Cliff Drive course, where I still had thoughts of what had transpired the previous round and was not about to let that happen again. I needed to score on many of the holes that I had let pass me by the previous afternoon. These were not difficult holes, but it was challenging to get putts on some of the holes sometimes. Although I had a better start to the round, Josh Anthon was making every putt that he faced. It soon became a very close battle between Josh and me, with Matt Orum right on my heels. After holding the lead for the entire tournament, Josh soon tied it all up on Hole 8. Josh then took the lead on the very next hole with a Birdie on Hole 9. I then tied him up with a Birdie on Hole 10 and regained the lead on Hole 12. We continued to trade off the lead through a series of holes on the back, and Josh regained the lead yet again on Hole 15. He was playing great and gained another stroke on Hole 16 before finishing with an amazing 46 (-8). I finished the round with a 50 (-4), which was 6 strokes better than the previous round, but Josh ended up edging me out by 4 strokes on the round to take a 2 stroke lead in the tournament.<br />
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Again, I felt disappointed that I had given up the lead because I wanted to win from start to finish, but no one ever said that it was going to be easy. It was going to be a battle until the end, and I was more than ready to take it on. It was our only round of the day before having to play the Semi-Finals at Waterworks the following day, so we went back to house to relax for the afternoon. As I sat back in the hot tub trying to contemplate how I was going to retake the lead, I realized that I needed to get back out there and practice. Nate and I waited until the late afternoon heat slightly dissipated, presenting an ideal afternoon for a practice round out at Waterworks. We went out there and threw multiple shots on every hole for the entire round, which gave me the opportunity to really dial in many of the shots on the holes that I would be playing the following morning.<br />
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The 7th round, which happen to be the Semi-Final Round, began early Saturday morning at Waterworks - the same course that I had played well at the first time through in the 4th round shooting a 45 (-9) and had diligently practiced the afternoon before. This was going to be the round for me to regain the lead and take back control of this tournament. I played very conservatively to start, just keeping pace with Josh as he was still carrying over his great play from the previous 2 rounds, and his putts were still on point. I was definitely very aware of where I was in the match between us, but didn’t let it really affect my play. I got 1 stroke back on him in the first 5 holes leading into Hole 6, where Josh made an errant drive that kicked immediately right down a steep embankment. This was probably the most challenging hole on the entire course, not because of the length of the hole, but because it was sometimes difficult to make it down the fairway without getting in trouble. Josh was experiencing just that as his disc landed way down the hill on the right side of the fairway with nothing left for a shot as he attempted to pitch back to the fairway for an open 3rd shot. But not this time. It took him 2 shots to make it back to the fairway and another to get to the green, giving him a 25' to save a 5. He missed the putt wide left and his putter fortunately came to rest on the side hill and avoided rolling back down the hill. He dropped his putt in for 6, while I played the hole perfectly, carding a 3 to go from back by 1 stroke to in the lead by 2 strokes. The tides had turned at just the right moment, and now it was time to take control.<br />
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We continued on as I capitalized on many of the holes that I had practiced the day before, scoring a few birdies on the remaining holes on the front, but Josh kept pace throughout that stretch. The battle continued onto the back as I really started forcing some huge shots in order to score. We traded off birdies until he made an amazing throw on the epic Hole 14, absolutely parking the hole for birdie. He then birdied 3 straight coming down the stretch to finish the round, while I continued to miss putts on that same stretch of holes, to give him again a 1 stroke lead going into the last 2 holes. I didn't panic in any way and knew that I would have another opportunity to get back in this match.<br />
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I sat back and watched as Josh took the tee on Hole 17, only to witness the door swing open as he pulled his tee shot wide right into the street OB on the drive. I quickly took advantage of the situation by driving a shot to land uphill from the hole and hitting a downhill 25’ footer for birdie. As he surrendered 2 strokes and bogeyed the hole, I regained the lead. I am very much a believer in the power of momentum, especially during a battle such as this, and I felt everything change dramatically. Going into the Final Hole 18 of the Semi-Finals, which is an extreme uphill shot, I knew that I needed to take full advantage of my power and reach this hole to finish the round. I smashed the drive off the tee, leaving me a difficult uphill 18’ footer. He threw his tee shot short on the hill and missed his putt for birdie to finish. I took my time, knowing that this putt could make all the difference, took a deep breath and sank the putt to take a 2 stroke lead shooting a 46 (-8), taking all the momentum going into the Final 9.<br />
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So I had over 3 hours to prepare for the Finals as every division had to play their Final 9 on the very same course that they had set up at Blue Valley that I would be playing later that day. I wanted to get to there early just to calm my nerves a bit and give me ample time to stretch and warm up before the Finals. Nate, Val and I definitely walked the entire course hours before the Finals started just to be prepared for many of the holes that we never played during any of the previous rounds. We were unfortunately not allowed to throw any of the holes because there were other divisions playing their Final 9’s at that time. But the Final 9 layout seemed really basic and not too difficult, so I really didn’t need to throw the holes in order to know what to throw.<br />
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<center>The Final 9 - Putt on Hole #4</center>
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The Final 9 had been set up in such a way so as to incorporate the first 3 holes on the Blue Valley course, the next 5 holes being very short holes, and the final hole finishing at the main stage where the Awards ceremony was to take place. It was very spectator-friendly layout with lots of room for a gallery to navigate without being in the way of the players on a majority of the holes. It was a layout with a large variance between really long Par 4's and very short holes, all holes where there could be a great change in scores. It was going to be a battle until the end.<br />
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Val started her round with a 16 stroke lead over Des Reading going into the Finals. Reading then had a 12 stroke lead on Nicole Frazier for 3rd. Valarie had more than secured the win throughout a phenomenal week of play and was playing a Victory Final 9 where she could really show off her skills to the crowd. She gained 9 strokes during the Semi-Finals shooting a 1017 rated round and she averaged an amazing 992 rating throughout the previous 7 rounds, a round rating that dominated the entire Women’s field at the World Championships. She ended with a 14 stroke win in route to her 3rd Consecutive World Title remained the Best Female Disc Golfer in the World. It was now my turn to hold up my end on the deal and win as well. It was my turn.<br />
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The Men’s Finals started soon after Valarie dropped her last putt. I couldn't believe how excited I was to play in another Worlds Final 9, my last one having taken place in 2006 in Augusta, GA. My idol and newly inducted Hall of Famer, "Crazy" John Brooks announced this year's Finalists, Josh Anthon, Cale Leiviska, Matt Orum and myself. I could feel the intensity building and the rush throughout my body as the names were announced as we all stepped out on the teepad of the first hole of the Final 9.<br />
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<center>The Leader Board going into the Final 9</center>
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I started with a tremendous drive on the 803 ft Hole #1 just to get the nerves out, but threw my upshot wide on the approach. I lost a stroke to Josh on the very first hole as he threw an amazing approach to score a birdie 3. We then both scored par on the 2nd hole to keep my lead at 1 stroke. I then took advantage of the distance of Hole #3, which measured 696’ and played uphill the entire way as I made a huge second shot and hit a long 30’ footer for 3 as Josh struggled to score a 5 on the hole. I then regained a 3 stroke lead. It was the start of the Final 9 that I had hoped for, and I believed that I was just going to take a victory lap into the final 6 holes.<br />
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I remained in the lead by 3 strokes as we both scored par on the next hole across the water, and I was feeling like I had this tournament all wrapped up at this point with just 5 holes remaining in the event. Unfortunately, things from that point on did not go as well as planned when I chained out for birdie on the short uphill Hole #5 while Josh got a stroke back on that hole. I somehow changed my game plan at that point in the match, electing to throw the next downhill straight shot a bit short instead of opting for the high percentage sidearm spike shot that would have carded me a birdie on that hole. I took another par as Josh continued to birdie that hole as well, cutting the lead to 1 stroke yet again. I seemed to lose focus quickly at this point, but it didn’t seem real. In my mind, there was no way I was going to lose, no matter how many holes he birdies. It was still my time.<br />
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I then left the next drive short as well and missed the putt out of pure frustration as Josh birdied to tie me up going into the last 2 holes of the Final 9. I lost the lead as Josh had just reeled off 3 straight unanswered deuces on the shortest holes of the Final 9; it was too unreal that I had let this happen. I could have birdied those holes blindfolded. The stage was now set in front of a gallery of 1500+ spectators and it was all coming down to who wanted it the most. We both birdied the short uphill shot on Hole #8 as I nearly missed hitting the basket for Ace to really finish in style.<br />
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<center>The Final 9 - Drive on Hole #9</center>
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The last and final hole of the Final 9 was a long 480’ across an asphalt road with an island green, the awards stage to the left side of the island and the basket in the center for all to witness the final putts. It was the hole that I wanted to birdie so very badly, but unfortunately left the shot short right side, only to toss up a last chance birdie effort in hopes to win in regulation as Josh made his par putt to stay tied. I walked off that hole more pumped than ever, screaming “Let’s Go!” I wanted to end this battle as quickly as possible.<br />
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We both walked back to the starting hole and commenced a playoff, only the second playoff for a Men’s Open Title in PDGA History. It was going to be a show for the ages. We made our way to the teepad followed by an increasing number of spectators; the gallery increased to 2000+ as we walked by Tournament Central. I told Josh before we started the playoff, “Whomever wants it the most and deserves it the most is going to win today!” I wanted this more than anyone the entire week; I wanted this more than anyone in the World.<br />
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This playoff for the World Title was the most intense battle in Disc Golf that I have ever been a part of, yet the pressure seemed to turn into a deep feeling of intensity. We both started out with pars on Hole #1 as I threw what seemed to be an errant upshot which nearly stayed in bounds - I thought that I may have lost the tournament when I shanked the shot wide right. But fortunately, it stayed in play somehow. We both squandered opportunities on the first hole to win, so we proceeded. I made a good shot on Hole #2 leaving me a downhill 35’ foot putt for the win, and Josh threw his drive wide right and was forced to lay up on the treacherous side hill green. The thought of winning rushed over me as I contemplated just ending the tournament right there, right then. I looked over at Feldberg and asked him if I should run this putt, but got back a simple shake of the head which signified an obvious "No." I took his advice and laid up the putt, to the obvious disbelief of many that watched. But because of there was a great possibility on a missed putt of hitting and rolling away, there was still a chance of losing and it just wasn't the time for such action. I also didn’t want to take that chance, especially considering that we were going into the next 2 holes which happened to be the longest holes of the Final 9. I liked my chances, plus Josh had taken a bogey 5 on Hole #3 the last time, so the pressure was placed on him at that point. We both played the next hole well; I missed a long Eagle putt and we both carded easy birdies on the difficult uphill hole.<br />
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I could feel the intensity kick up a notch as I seemed to be almost running the course, always ready to throw the next shot. We both threw decent shots on Hole #4, leaving Josh with a routine approach which he placed about 20’ to the right while I had a really demanding approach around a group of trees between the basket and me. It was the moment of truth, this is what I might consider the most clutch shot that I threw the entire Final 9. I asked my father and caddy at the time what I should throw, especially in the conditions of a left to right crosswind and everything on the line. It was a demanding shot either way, but I didn't like the chances of throwing the hyzer shot to the right under some branches with a crosswind that could push the shot to the ground short of the basket. The sidearm route was definitely the longer and more difficult of the two options, but it had the left to right crosswind helping to bring the shot back to the basket. We agreed that I should throw the sidearm - which I barely threw around the trees and almost hit the basket from my angle - as it skipped 20’ uphill looking back down toward the basket. We both hit our important birdie putts and moved to the next hole.<br />
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The next hole, Hole #5, is a low ceiling uphill shot that played around 300 ft with the elevation and wind conditions at the time. I threw my blue Champion Firebird high and wide right but it fell short of the pin, and I could not believe how it seemed to drop right out of the air. Josh stepped up and threw a very similar shot but slightly lower that never faded back toward the basket as it drifted right to about 40 ft. pin high on the side hill.<br />
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It seemed as if every shot increased with importance as the playoff progressed. It was coming down to it; I could just feel it. I could not bear to watch as Josh lined up his long uphill putt and sailed his putt chain high, left side with no chance of going in.<br />
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I then approached my disc, which seemed to be a lot further away from the basket than when I saw it from the tee. It was about an 18 – 20 ft. slight uphill putt. I stepped away from my lie and took a deep breath, because I knew that this was my time. After 140 holes throughout the week, it was my chance to end the playoff. I gained my composure as I started to go through the motions, envisioning myself in the back yard putting, just making this same putt like I have done thousands of times before. I was just trying to make everything else disappear, the distractions and the people, and it was just the basket and me at this point.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.averyjenkins7495.com/2010/02/22/2009-disc-golf-world-championships-kansas-city-ksmo/" target="news"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4423460076_bd3179155c_b.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="_MG_3020"/></a></center>
<center>The Winning Putt</center>
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I promised myself that I had to commit everything that I had to this putt, extending and reaching for that basket. I remember everything up to the point when I released the disc, and it was about half-way to the basket when I knew it was in. Time had frozen for that split second, and when everyone erupted, I let it all out right there as I let out a victorious roar. Val came running up and was the first to hug me as she leaped into the air and I caught her. Feldberg and my father were next, as I hugged them both at the same time. My mother could not stop screaming as she ran in circles beating on my arm. I picked her up and twirled in place, giving her the biggest hug that I could give. I could feel the emotions from everyone that got to witness and experience everything that Josh and I had just displayed. It is a World Championship that will be remembered for years to come.<br />
<br />
It felt so surreal. I couldn’t believe that it was all happening at that moment. It was something that I have dreamt about since I was young, to become a Disc Golf World Champion. It made it extra special to win alongside my sister Valarie to become the first siblings to ever to be World Champions. She said during her Victory speech that she would give all her World Titles to see me get this one this year; that meant so much for me to hear that and know how badly she wanted to see me win. It meant a lot to me that my family and friends could be there with me, to support me throughout the week and celebrate victory in the end. It is something that has changed my life from that day forward, because it was my turn and I believed that I could win no matter what went down throughout the tournament. I knew that I was going to win the entire week because I wanted it more than anyone out there. It was my time and I knew it all along.<br />
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I had been told since I was young that I was destined to win a World Title. So many people truly believed it, and yet it took me years before I could actually realize it. I have had all the skill and all the ability to win; it was about putting that all together to make it happen. I really think the main reason was that I believed I could do it and I played fearlessly the entire week because I wanted to win so badly. I wanted to be a World Champion more than anything, and it was meant to happen through sheer will and determination.<br />
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Some think that winning the World Championships is everything, but winning the Worlds this past year is just a stepping stone for things to come. Because great things happen to great people and to those want it with all the passion that they contain. You just got to believe.<br />
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Thanks to Pete Cashen for putting up the entire crew throughout Worlds. Thanks to my idol, "Crazy" John Brooks for inspiring me to play my best. Thanks to the amazing tournament staff that made the 2009 Worlds so incredible. Thanks to all of my Sponsors whom have always supported me and that make it possible to do what I love for a living. Thanks to Valarie for being an unbelievable sister and seeing the greatness in me long before the actual result; it meant more than anything for us to win the World Championships together. Thanks to my parents who have shown me the way, throughout life and in Disc Golf, I am grateful for everything that they have given and taught me. Thanks to all my friends and family that have supported me throughout the years and helped to make this dream of mine a reality.<br />
<br />
-Avery Jenkins #7495-<br />
<a href="http://www.AveryJenkins7495.com">www.AveryJenkins7495.com</a>2009 Roscoe's Revenge hosted by Team Jenkins - Medina, OHtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-06-04:1809917:BlogPost:17992282009-06-04T18:30:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<center><b>2009 Roscoe’s Revenge</b><center><center><b>Are you ready for the Challenge?!!</b></center>
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<center>Website: Click Here!</center>
<center><a href="http://www.averyjenkins7495.com/roscoesrevenge/" target="new"><img alt="DISC LOGO FINAL" height="400" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/3591089698_9311ae70aa_o.jpg" width="300"></img></a></center>
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Roscoe Ewing Park – Medina, OH (Ohio’s 1st permanent disc golf course)<br />
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Team Jenkins will be hosting 2 PDGA sanctioned events back to back:<br />
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The Amateur B –Tier Event held on June 28th with lots of prizes from over 70+ Sponsors including awesome…</center>
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<center><b>2009 Roscoe’s Revenge</b><center><center><b>Are you ready for the Challenge?!!</b></center>
<br />
<center>Website: Click Here!</center>
<center><a href="http://www.averyjenkins7495.com/roscoesrevenge/" target="new"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/3591089698_9311ae70aa_o.jpg" width="300" height="400" alt="DISC LOGO FINAL"/></a></center>
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Roscoe Ewing Park – Medina, OH (Ohio’s 1st permanent disc golf course)<br />
<br />
Team Jenkins will be hosting 2 PDGA sanctioned events back to back:<br />
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The Amateur B –Tier Event held on June 28th with lots of prizes from over 70+ Sponsors including awesome player’s packs for everyone, auctions, raffles and giveaways. Innova baskets and paid entry into the following Pro event to the winners of both men’s and women’s divisions.<br />
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The Pro Supertour Event will be held on July 4 – 5th hosting many of the Nation’s Top Professional Players including over $6,000+ in added cash. Presenting 70+ Sponsors contributing to the event including a 4th of July player’s party with live bands providing free food and beverages.<br />
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Our tournament is the weekend between two National Tour Events in Michigan and Ohio.<br />
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If you are not already registered please do so now, this is an event that you don’t want to miss!!<br />
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Registration fills at 72 players for both events so sign-up soon before they are full!!<br />
<p><a href="http://www.discnation.com/Roscoes-Revenge-Amateur-B-Tier-p-17571.html" target="new">Roscoe’s Revenge Presented by iCandi Graphics (AM) - June 28th</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.discnation.com/Roscoes-Revenge-Pro-Super-Tour-p-17572.html" target="new">Roscoe’s Revenge Presented by iCandi Graphics (PRO) - July 4-5th</a></p>
</center>
</center>Tournament Focus and Mental Gametag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-04-30:1809917:BlogPost:17556442009-04-30T14:30:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<center><a href="http://www.innovadiscs.com" target="new&quot;&quot;"><img alt="100_0454" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3240511014_f66cdd39eb_b.jpg" width="500"></img></a></center>
<center>Stafford Lake DGC - Novato, CA</center>
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The key to a strong mental game is to realize what you need to do in order to score well on the course. It’s best to not let the mind stray from what you set out to do at the start of the round, play consistent and as mistake-free as possible. You don't want to ever lose focus when the situation shifts to less then ideal. The best way to develop a strong…
<center><a href="http://www.innovadiscs.com" target="new&quot;&quot;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3240511014_f66cdd39eb_b.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="100_0454"/></a></center>
<center>Stafford Lake DGC - Novato, CA</center>
<br />
The key to a strong mental game is to realize what you need to do in order to score well on the course. It’s best to not let the mind stray from what you set out to do at the start of the round, play consistent and as mistake-free as possible. You don't want to ever lose focus when the situation shifts to less then ideal. The best way to develop a strong mental game is to not let errant shots and missed opportunities affect your next shot or your round. The strongest mental games are also attributed to the players that are the most patient and confident in their abilities on the course.<br />
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With that, there are many different pieces that add up to a complete mental game. For example, I prepare for tournament rounds by strategizing how I am going to play every hole by mentally walking through the course shot for shot. I try to think about where I what to ideally place every tee shot and every approach through an entire round. This has proven to really help me when the tournament starts and I feel that I that I know what I need to do in order to win. Once the tournament starts, I find that there are two different things I have to deal with mentally; my throwing and the people I am playing with.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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Blog continued at:<br />
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<p><b><a href="http://www.huklab.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/huklab.jpg" alt="Huk Lab Disc Golf Clothing" width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>
<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>The Filming of the Team Jenkins Disc Golf Documentarytag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-04-18:1809917:BlogPost:17369142009-04-18T00:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<center><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4" target="new"><img alt="TeamJenkinsLogo" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3448197850_41b7e3f16c.jpg" width="500"></img></a></center>
<br />
The Team Jenkins Disc Golf Documentary was set to begin filming the weekend of April 4, so our family made plans to fly down to Houston, TX where Director Rob Engle has a large production studio where he works. It actually happens to be the largest production studio in Houston. Val and I were flying in from Atlanta, GA where we played the Atlanta Open National Tour Event the previous weekend and…
<center><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4" target="new"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3448197850_41b7e3f16c.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="TeamJenkinsLogo"/></a></center>
<br />
The Team Jenkins Disc Golf Documentary was set to begin filming the weekend of April 4, so our family made plans to fly down to Houston, TX where Director Rob Engle has a large production studio where he works. It actually happens to be the largest production studio in Houston. Val and I were flying in from Atlanta, GA where we played the Atlanta Open National Tour Event the previous weekend and my parents, Sharon and Leroy, were traveling from the cold winter weather of Ohio. It all seemed to work out as the Texas States Disc Golf Championships was taking place that weekend along with the initial start to the filming of our documentary.<br />
<br />
This whole idea for a Disc Golf documentary was started by Rob Engle when he was trying to pursue making a film that granted greater exposure to the sport. But much like everyone else that has attempted to makea film telling the history of Disc Golf from the beginning, it seemed a little cut and dry to just produce a film about the timeline and future of Disc Golf. He wanted a story and a plot that would intrigue viewers that had no knowledge of the game and have them understand why we love this sport so much. He approached his good friend Neal Dambra about his idea over a year ago, and Neal mentioned that his doubles partner Leroy has an entire family that plays. And thus Team Jenkins became the story line for his documentary that he was looking for. He met up with us at the World Championships in Kalamazoo, MI and explained to us his grand idea to have a film that portrayed the "family friendly" sport of Disc Golf by highlighting how we all started this great game. He captured some great tournament footage throughout the week and later produced an youtube teaser to really get us interested into what was to come - he is doing the entire film in HD quality.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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Blog continued at:<br />
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<p><b><a href="http://www.huklab.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/huklab.jpg" alt="Huk Lab Disc Golf Clothing" width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>
<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>2008 - Year in Reviewtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-02-18:1809917:BlogPost:16337282009-02-18T03:30:35.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aviar7495/3289592432/" title="VPO finals 187 by Aviar7495, on Flickr"><img alt="VPO finals 187" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3289592432_0a5c825bb3_b.jpg" width="350"></img></a></center>
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<center>2008 Year In Review: Remembering My Best Season Yet</center>
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What a year! 2008 has gone down as my most successful disc golf season to date. I played in 28 PDGA Tournaments with 20 top 5's and 9 wins (32% Winning Percentage), including 2 National Tour Wins at The Greater Tulsa Open and The Vibram Open and 5 Supertour Wins including an A-Tier…
<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aviar7495/3289592432/" title="VPO finals 187 by Aviar7495, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3360/3289592432_0a5c825bb3_b.jpg" width="350" height="300" alt="VPO finals 187"/></a></center>
<br />
<center>2008 Year In Review: Remembering My Best Season Yet</center>
<br />
What a year! 2008 has gone down as my most successful disc golf season to date. I played in 28 PDGA Tournaments with 20 top 5's and 9 wins (32% Winning Percentage), including 2 National Tour Wins at The Greater Tulsa Open and The Vibram Open and 5 Supertour Wins including an A-Tier Trifecta to finish off the year down South at the Corpus Christi Open, Oklahoma Open and Veterans Park Open. I kept my cash streak alive cashing in every tournament I played in 2008.<br />
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I have played more tournaments in one full season (46 tournaments in 2002), but this year I traveled more tour miles than any other year, accruing 80,000+ travel miles throughout the 2008 disc golf season (trust me it took some time to add up all of those miles). The distance I traveled is comparable to circling the planet 3.2 times with an average of 216 miles a day for the entire year. And that statistic doesn't even take into account all the miles I walked on the golf course week in and week out. I calculated that I flew 60K by plane including some huge trips to Japanese and European Majors. The other 20K consisted of ground miles that I collected from driving the Tioga back and forth across the country including multiple trips with various friends to many tournaments throughout the year. I have never heard of travel miles throughout a disc golf season that compare to those numbers, please let me know if you have ever heard of anything comparable. For my efforts I led the PDGA Tour Points for the 2008 season.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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Blog continued at:<br />
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<p><b><a href="http://www.huklab.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/huklab.jpg" alt="Huk Lab Disc Golf Clothing" width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>
<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>Team Jenkins Disc Golf Documentary - Trailertag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-02-17:1809917:BlogPost:16310962009-02-17T02:00:10.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2E2DRkMGx4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="false"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="never" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2E2DRkMGx4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" wmode="opaque"></embed> <param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param></object>
<br />
<br />
So this is the youtube video Trailer for the "Team Jenkins - First Family of Disc Golf" Documentary due to release the Spring/Summer of 2010.<br />
<br />
Youtube Link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4</a><br />
<br />
This is documentary that will expose the family friendly sport of Disc Golf along with lots of footage of the PDGA Professional National Tour throughout the summer.<br />
<br />
Be sure to stay…
<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2E2DRkMGx4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2E2DRkMGx4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="never" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>
<br />
<br />
So this is the youtube video Trailer for the "Team Jenkins - First Family of Disc Golf" Documentary due to release the Spring/Summer of 2010.<br />
<br />
Youtube Link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2E2DRkMGx4</a><br />
<br />
This is documentary that will expose the family friendly sport of Disc Golf along with lots of footage of the PDGA Professional National Tour throughout the summer.<br />
<br />
Be sure to stay tuned.............................................<br />
<br />
Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!All the States in the US that I have Visitedtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-01-30:1809917:BlogPost:15858902009-01-30T07:14:28.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<img height="220" src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=t&amp;chs=440x220&amp;chtm=usa&amp;chf=bg,s,336699&amp;chco=d0d0d0,cc0000&amp;chd=s:99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999&amp;chld=KYKSIAINIDILGAFLDECTCOCAALAZARLAMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDWYWIWVWAVAVTUTTXTNSDSCPARIOROKOH" width="440"></img> <br></br>visited 47 states (94%)<br></br><a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=usa">Create your own visited map of The United States</a> or try another <a href="http://douweosinga.com">Douwe</a> <a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects">Osinga…</a>
<img src="http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=t&amp;chs=440x220&amp;chtm=usa&amp;chf=bg,s,336699&amp;chco=d0d0d0,cc0000&amp;chd=s:99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999&amp;chld=KYKSIAINIDILGAFLDECTCOCAALAZARLAMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDWYWIWVWAVAVTUTTXTNSDSCPARIOROKOH" width="440" height="220"/><br/>visited 47 states (94%)<br/><a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects/visited?region=usa">Create your own visited map of The United States</a> or try another <a href="http://douweosinga.com">Douwe</a> <a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects">Osinga</a> <a href="http://douweosinga.com/projects">project</a>My Official Website: AveryJenkins7495.comtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2009-01-29:1809917:BlogPost:15835342009-01-29T08:59:03.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<a href="http://www.AveryJenkins7495.com" title="AverySiteScreenGrab by Aviar7495, on Flickr"><img alt="AverySiteScreenGrab" height="250" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3407/3234402323_1159892c1e_m.jpg" width="380"></img></a><br />
<br />
This winter I have been working very hard on putting together my official Web site, and I am extremely happy to say that AveryJenkins7495.com is ready for launch!<br />
<br />
I am very excited about this site; it was a huge undertaking that has definitely been a long time coming. Be sure to visit the site and check back often as I plan to post all of my latest pictures, videos and stats from my…
<a href="http://www.AveryJenkins7495.com" title="AverySiteScreenGrab by Aviar7495, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3407/3234402323_1159892c1e_m.jpg" width="380" height="250" alt="AverySiteScreenGrab"/></a><br />
<br />
This winter I have been working very hard on putting together my official Web site, and I am extremely happy to say that AveryJenkins7495.com is ready for launch!<br />
<br />
I am very excited about this site; it was a huge undertaking that has definitely been a long time coming. Be sure to visit the site and check back often as I plan to post all of my latest pictures, videos and stats from my life on the road as a professional disc golfer. I will be updating this Web site throughout the season to keep you posted on all the greatest news from the disc golf tour. I will also be posting blogs periodically telling of the amazing tournaments that I play and dispatches from my travels around the world, and you will also find links to other great disc golf Web sites, including this one.<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="http://www.averyjenkins7495.com/">AveryJenkins7495.com</a>, and be sure to let me know what you think!PDGA Tournament Coverage of the Tupelo Bay Open - Myrtle Beach, SCtag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-12-16:1809917:BlogPost:14842572008-12-16T22:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<a href="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn117/Aviar7495/?action=view&amp;current=TupeloBay_0preview.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn117/Aviar7495/TupeloBay_0preview.jpg"></img></a><br />
<br />
Tune in at 8:00pm EST on Tue. Dec. 16th for Disc Golf Network coverage of the Tupelo Bay Open brought to you by Innova Discs and Revolution Bags.<br />
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The 2008 Tupelo Bay Open was contested on Dec. 13-14, 2008 in Myrtle Beach, SC and the Disc Golf Network was there to capture all of the action for PDGA TV. Tune in to PDGA.com on Tuesday night December 16th at…
<a href="http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn117/Aviar7495/?action=view&amp;current=TupeloBay_0preview.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn117/Aviar7495/TupeloBay_0preview.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a><br />
<br />
Tune in at 8:00pm EST on Tue. Dec. 16th for Disc Golf Network coverage of the Tupelo Bay Open brought to you by Innova Discs and Revolution Bags.<br />
<br />
The 2008 Tupelo Bay Open was contested on Dec. 13-14, 2008 in Myrtle Beach, SC and the Disc Golf Network was there to capture all of the action for PDGA TV. Tune in to PDGA.com on Tuesday night December 16th at 8:00pm and 11:00pm EST for full coverage of the event brought to you by Innova Champion Discs, Revolution Disc Golf Bags, and ClashDVD.com.<br />
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Each year, the Tupelo Bay Open provides a top notch ball golf style disc golf course event in a beautiful and professional setting. Year round the Tupelo Bay Resort has a short 9 hole pay-to-play course at the entrance to the park, but it doesn’t compare to the experience that the Tupelo Bay Open course provides.<br />
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Now in it’s fourth year, this tourney has been won by the likes of Barry Schultz (2005) and Brian Schweberger (2006-2007). Avery Jenkins will make the trip to the carolina coast this year in a bid to overpower the competition and win his first Tupelo title. Check out the video promo below and be sure to check back to PDGA.com on Tuesday, Dec. 16th for full video coverage of the event. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy disc golf as it was meant to be, straight from the Grand Strand.<br />
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Click <a href="http://pdga.com/tupelo-bay-video">here</a> to watch.<br />
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Be sure to check​ out this first​ of its kind in Promo Disc Golf​ Video​ Cover​age and look forwa​rd to more event​s being​ cover​ed during next years​ tour seaso​n.​<br />
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Enjoy​!​A-Tier Trifecta - Corpus Christi Open, Oklahoma Open and Veterans Park Opentag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-12-03:1809917:BlogPost:14485172008-12-03T08:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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After a long trip across the country following the USDGC, Steve Mills and I made a trip down to the great state of Texas to play some late season tournaments throughout the south. We stayed with our good friend Robbie Bratten at his apartment in Houston. We planned on staying there throughout the week and traveling to the tournaments on the weekends. I had…
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After a long trip across the country following the USDGC, Steve Mills and I made a trip down to the great state of Texas to play some late season tournaments throughout the south. We stayed with our good friend Robbie Bratten at his apartment in Houston. We planned on staying there throughout the week and traveling to the tournaments on the weekends. I had planned to play a few Supertour events in the coming weeks such as The Corpus Christi Open, The Oklahoma Open and The Veterans Park Open. I had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, it was set to be an amazing time, I would not expect anything less.<br />
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The first tournament was the Corpus Christi Open in Corpus Christi, Texas, way down south - maybe the furthest south I have ever played Disc Golf - almost an hour from Mexico. Robbie, Steve and I rolled into town on Thursday night to be prepared to play all day on Friday. We stayed with Robbie's cousin John Cook who plays Fullback for the Corpus Christi Arena Football Team, quite impressive but very understandable by his size and strength. He could probably play Pro Football in the NFL. We practiced the longer course in the morning and planned on playing doubles with Robbie on the shorter Ingleside course during the afternoon round. When I mean short, I mean really short - 12 of the 18 holes were short, spike hyzers over these small trees with one hole over 400 over water. Needless to say, we scorched the course with a 40 (-14) to tie for first place with Matt Hall and Erik Soete.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>2008 United States Disc Golf Championships (Part 2) - Singlestag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-11-18:1809917:BlogPost:13966312008-11-18T06:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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Photo Courtesy of Bryan Board<br />
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On Monday morning following the USDGC Doubles event, the Clash DVD crew drove out to Hornets Nest Disc Golf Course to finish the Clash taping that we tried to complete on the previous Friday but couldn’t due to the rainy weather. Billy Crump organized the competitors for this video - Barry Schultz, Eric McCabe, Brian Schweberger, Michael…
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Photo Courtesy of Bryan Board<br />
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On Monday morning following the USDGC Doubles event, the Clash DVD crew drove out to Hornets Nest Disc Golf Course to finish the Clash taping that we tried to complete on the previous Friday but couldn’t due to the rainy weather. Billy Crump organized the competitors for this video - Barry Schultz, Eric McCabe, Brian Schweberger, Michael Johansen, Kevin McCoy and myself for the first of its kind - Worst Shot Doubles at Hornets Nest. It was formatted to be random draw for partners, and then both players on each team were to throw and the worst shot would be determined by the other groups. The play continued shot for shot until both players on the team made the putt to complete the hole. Yes, both players have to make the putt which is very difficult especially if your partner is a great putter - and that adds to the pressure.<br />
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We all flipped for partners and here's how that went down: Schultz got teamed up with McCabe, Schweberger paired up with Johansen and I got the pleasure of being matched up with my good friend Kevin McCoy. The teams were solid. No matter how everyone got paired up it was going to be quite the battle on a tougher course for a worst shot formatted doubles. It was going to take some amazing play to beat out the Schweberger/Johansen team, which I considered to be the favorite considering that you could pair up Johansen with just about anyone to be a great team for the fact it was his home course. He knows these holes better then everyone combined. I made jokes about that the entire round.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>2008 United States Doubles Championshiptag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-10-28:1809917:BlogPost:13204592008-10-28T15:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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So I arrived in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday night before the start of the USDGC Doubles Championship. I made the 8 hour drive down from Ohio with my friend Steve Mills and pulled up to Billy Crump's house to spend the weekend. Feldberg, Climo and Schultz just arrived that day as well, early enough to get some rounds in at Winthrop Gold, Renaissance and Honests Nest in…
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So I arrived in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday night before the start of the USDGC Doubles Championship. I made the 8 hour drive down from Ohio with my friend Steve Mills and pulled up to Billy Crump's house to spend the weekend. Feldberg, Climo and Schultz just arrived that day as well, early enough to get some rounds in at Winthrop Gold, Renaissance and Honests Nest in preparation for the Doubles event. The Doubles Teams were Feldberg and I, Schultz and Schweberger, Climo and Brinster, and Orum and Barsby to name a few. It was due to be a super competitive doubles competition on some technical Carolina courses.<br />
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Thursday we made a trip out to Wintrop the very next day to get in a solid day of wind practice in preparation for the doubles and for the singles later on the following week. It might have been the most wind that I have ever experienced on that course, making hole 17 one of the hardest holes ever just trying to land a shot in play anywhere on the green. The ropes seemed the tightest that they have ever been on many of the holes making the course at least 2 to 3 strokes harder in my opinion with a lot of the OB's closer to many of the downhill slopes and surrounding many of the baskets---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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<p><b><a href="http://www.huklab.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/huklab.jpg" alt="Huk Lab Disc Golf Clothing" width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>
<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>Throwing Accurate Approaches and Upshotstag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-09-15:1809917:BlogPost:12044572008-09-15T21:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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One of the most defined skills of any professional player is the ability to throw accurate and precise approaches in any situation. These shots are most helpful when playing long holes that are just out of reach off the tee or in certain predicaments following errant drives on wooded holes when a stroke-saving shot is required.<br />
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The properly thrown…
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One of the most defined skills of any professional player is the ability to throw accurate and precise approaches in any situation. These shots are most helpful when playing long holes that are just out of reach off the tee or in certain predicaments following errant drives on wooded holes when a stroke-saving shot is required.<br />
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The properly thrown approach shot can ease the tension and stress of having to make a long putt to save par, as well as reduce the number of strokes recorded on the scorecard.<br />
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It may be one of the most routine shots in disc golf to execute when compared to drives and putting, but quite possibly the most important shot that you have to perform in order to score well on the golf course.<br />
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There are a variety of situations that require different approach shots, but here are some general things to remember in any upshot situation:<br />
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Proper alignment – Always face the target or intended flight path (gap) of choice when throwing toward the basket.<br />
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Solid stance – Balanced foot placement with lead leg (same side as throwing arm) behind mark or lie. Or when straddling out on a lie the use of either leg is preferred.<br />
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Body positioning – Position body with slight turn in stance to ensure smooth and fluent arm swing. Always make enough room to complete a full throwing motion by sometimes straddling out from the mark depending on the lie off the fairway.<br />
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Disc selection – Choose a disc depending on the shot (whether stable-left or understable-right for a right-handed thrower) to be a controllable midrange or putter. A driver can be used if thats what the shot calls for in low ceiling or skip shots situations. I prefer putters for shorter range shots because they are easier to control and shape the flight path depending on the shot. They also stay close to the basket when landing due to their slower flight and deeper rim.<br />
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Throw and release – A smooth, fluent arm swing toward the target with control and touch appropriate to the shot that is being executed is important. The release should be deliberate and the timing needs to be precise when maneuvering through objects on the way to basket. Remember to either power up or down or the shot depending on elevation changes and always determine the speed at which you want to throw in order to keep the shot close to the target.<br />
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Follow through – Ensure the flight of the disc is on line. The follow through may be shortened or obscured in certain situations when trees or other object are near. Use caution and make sure to quickly stop the arm swing after the release of the disc to avoid hitting objects on the follow through.<br />
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The ability to throw accurate approaches and upshots will make the difference in everyone’s game and is guaranteed to improve round scores. I recommend playing as much catch as possible to get in lots of repetitions along with learning shot timing and release angles. Practice is key to being great at anything, so get out there and practice throwing those approaches and upshots. Good Luck!<br />
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For more Disc Golf Pro Tip go to: <a href="http://www.flyingdiscmagazine.com">flyingdiscmagazine.com</a>The Vibram Open at Maple Hilltag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-08-07:1809917:BlogPost:4410122008-08-07T00:00:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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So we arrived into Boston after returning from Sweden where we spent the last two weeks on the EuroTour. The Swedish tournaments were amazing and had some consistent finishes in both the Stockholm Open (5th) and the Scandinavian Open (4th). Our good friend Tim Walsh picked us up and provided us with a place to stay with his family throughout the weekend.<br />
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On…
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So we arrived into Boston after returning from Sweden where we spent the last two weeks on the EuroTour. The Swedish tournaments were amazing and had some consistent finishes in both the Stockholm Open (5th) and the Scandinavian Open (4th). Our good friend Tim Walsh picked us up and provided us with a place to stay with his family throughout the weekend.<br />
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On Thursday (July 24) I celebrated the big 3-0 and spent the day playing doubles designed for the top four players in National Tour points in attendance at the tournament. Dave and I were the obvious doubles team along with Schultz and McCabe being the other team. The tournament then organized a doubles qualifier where Sprague, Olson and Pete Johnson became the final team as a triple team. They all threw tee shots and then were allowed to choose the best shot and that player was then not allowed the following shot. It preceded on from that point until the hole was finished. We played a stableford doubles points format where the teams were awarded 10 pts foran eagle, 3 pts for a birdie, 0 pts for a par, -1 pts for a bogey and -2 for a double bogey or worse. Long story short, Dave and I played decent but due to that type of format and limited chances at eagle placed 3rd. We still walked away with some appearance fees and enjoyed our time getting another practice round in before the start of the tournament.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
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<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>2008 Disc 'n Dat Bluegrass Open - "Getting Lucky in Tucky"tag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-05-11:1809917:BlogPost:2520822008-05-11T00:30:00.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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On our travels back to the East after the Big D in the Desert, Val and I played back to back tournaments in Kentucky. The second event being the Disc 'n Dat Bluegrass Open, one of my favorites due to the courses and the travel vicinity to my parents home in Ohio, an annual tournament that I used to play every year when I lived back home. It is also great to see…
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On our travels back to the East after the Big D in the Desert, Val and I played back to back tournaments in Kentucky. The second event being the Disc 'n Dat Bluegrass Open, one of my favorites due to the courses and the travel vicinity to my parents home in Ohio, an annual tournament that I used to play every year when I lived back home. It is also great to see some old friends that I have not seen in years, great time to catch up on some past DG stories.<br />
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We cruised down with the parents and led the caravan with our friends Chris Barbo, Rob Nitzsche and Mel Martin, down to Kentucky on Thursday. It gave us the whole day to practice both courses on Friday to prepare for the tournament. The first course was a past favorite, Banklick Woods, a course that I have not played in over 9 years, back when I won a huge Supertour there playing Advanced AM, great memories on that course. It has a great mix of open to wooded holes with some great elevation changes and a few holes with steep drop-offs with OB water past the basket. All in all a pretty solid course, on a course such as this there is a chance to shoot -24 with every hole being reachable by the majority of the field, a true birdie-fest. Not saying that it was a short course by any means, but there was a great potential to go really low if the putter was hot for a round or two.---------------------------------<br />
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<p><b><a href="http://www.huklab.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/huklab.jpg" alt="Huk Lab Disc Golf Clothing" width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>
<p><b>OR</b></p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.zonedriven.com/jenkins/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/Discgolf24/blogtop-2-1.jpg" alt="ZONEDRIVEN." width="450" height="60" border="0"/></a></b></p>Big D in the Desert VIII - Event Updatetag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-04-17:1809917:BlogPost:2055062008-04-17T04:10:45.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
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So the Big D in the Desert distance event was more then expected. Val and I arrived early into Primm, Nevada on Thursday afternoon along with Cary Trotter and Andrew Rich, whom drove 19 hours the day before just to make it down to the event. We drove out to the dry lake flats to get in some early throws and practice our distance technique. We were soon joined by…
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So the Big D in the Desert distance event was more then expected. Val and I arrived early into Primm, Nevada on Thursday afternoon along with Cary Trotter and Andrew Rich, whom drove 19 hours the day before just to make it down to the event. We drove out to the dry lake flats to get in some early throws and practice our distance technique. We were soon joined by the current world distance record holder Christian Sandstrom from Sweden who arrived early as well in order to get adapted to the desert wind conditions. But unfortunately on this practice day there was little to no wind, which was very, very rare this time of year and the wind did not arrive until later that evening. The throws were feeling good, good height and power, but I did not try to push it to hard due to a hamstring pull that I experienced the weekend before while practicing. Val also experienced the same type of injury while performing the 360-turnaround a few days before heading out to the desert, so she did not throw at all on Thursday in order to let her body heal. We also took a majority of the day off on Friday, sitting in the hot tub for hours and laying out by the pool soaking up sun.<br />
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Later that afternoon we noticed a big group of people out on the Ivanpah Dry Lake throwing some shots as the wind just started to pick up speed. We suited up, grabbed our discs and headed out to throw some bombs. I was feeling pretty loose from the hot tub and was ready to unleash some Distance Shots with some winds approaching 20-25 mph. I put up a few shots that caught and rode out full flights but still needed to carry further. I then started to really get over on a few and made sure to release them with a lot more height. I then put up a shot at 60 feet and crushed a 165 DX Destroyer, caught a full flight, pushed forward and rode out all the way until it hyzered back at the end. Christian "Max" Voight was at the other end on the field and measured it using a laser range finder from the spot where the disc hit the ground back to where we were throwing from. He later told me that shot was measured at approximately 255 METERS, breaking the longest recorded throw by 5 meters at around 840 feet. It was at that moment I realized that the world distance record, which I initially thought was totally untouchable, was well within reach. That throw could not be counted because it was not recorded during an official throwing distance set, but I was capable of doing that again and I was looking forward to the next day of throws knowing that it was all possible.<br />
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I was more then pumped up on Saturday morning, this was a long awaited day, the day I have been looking forward to for a long time. The competition did not start until all most noon to let the winds pick up and offer some consistent disc carries. There was competitors from all over the world from Finland, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. The big names in distance were Christian Sandstrom, Christian "Max" Voight, Erin Hemmings, Jack Cooksey, Sam Ferrans, Marc Jarvis, Jussi Meresmaa and the women's record holder Jennifer Griffin. It was an all-star crowd of competitors from all over competing for multiple world distance records in various divisions. I was given the chance the first round to mark for Junior phenom 12-year-old David Wiggins Jr as he broke the World Record at 171 M. An amazing throw to witness at the other end of the field.<br />
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200 Meter Club<br />
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I went out there not expecting much the first round of throws, I was going there to put out a mark and get some recorded distances before really throwing down some shots in the later two rounds of the day. I was feeling kind of tight and not really that warmed up at the moment, on top of that I still felt full from breakfast and coffee. So the first round I was placed in the last set with Sandstrom and Voight, the big guns. I was just trying to throw smooth and hit some angles at a good height of release, not trying to throw to hard or kill the disc at all. But I threw some bombs and ended up throwing the best set of drives all weekend long, throwing 210 M, 210 M and 212 M, with the 212 M being my personal best distance ever at 695 feet. Awesome! I just wanted to get into the 200 Meter Club and I was added as the 10th person to ever break that mark. That throw also got me on a short list of throwers into the 6th spot on the longest distance throwers ever recorded just ahead of my distance idol Scott Stokley at 211.32 M. Sandstrom had the longest recorded throw of the day at 215 M and Hemmings edged me out for the second longest at 213 M, I am still waiting for the complete revised list to be posted. In the later rounds, I threw 195 M in the 2nd round and 190 M in the 3rd round to finish right behind Sandstrom by 5 meter in cumulative distances on the day. Val had some great throws on Saturday afternoon with her longest being 132 M, 7 meters off the current world record, but she was capable of throwing so much further. There was still one more day to do it up.<br />
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On Sunday Val came out to field focused with only one goal in mind, the record was bound to belong to her. During the Semi-finals, the conditions were ideal and she was more then ready to go long. On her 3rd throw she caught the shot she had been waiting for all weekend, as I watched do a full fly out and flight as it continued to push forward with incredible speed and glide. It was with that throw she had broken and set the new Women's World Distance Record at 148 M (485 feet) with a 157 DX Wraith, becoming the first to hold a World Championship and Distance Record at the same time which had never been done before. Too proud, she is amazing!<br />
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There was a players cut for the top 12 men in order to throw in the Quarter-finals, then to the top 8 in the semi-finals and then to the top 4 for the finals on Sunday. I threw 204 M in the morning to qualify for the semis and Marc Jarvis threw a remarkable 226 to make into the 200 meter club, for the longest throw of the competition. In the Semis we did not get as favorable winds as the group just ahead of us as Sandstrom, Hemmings and I struggled to throw anything further then 185 M and only needed 188.5 M to get into the final. It seemed to unreal for the fact that I have not thrown less then 190 M all weekend long, also 3 of the top 4 longest recorded throwers of the weekend were unable to make the finals due to opposite wind conditions and the timing of it all. It was definitely disappointing not to make the finals, I trained to long and too hard for it to go down like this.<br />
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So the finalists were Andrew Rich, Juho Parviainen, Jussi Meresmaa and Marc Jarvis. They were all throwing some great shots all weekend, and the Finish came out on top with Jussi winning the title, Juho placed second and Andrew Rich finished 3rd with Marc in 4th. Congratulations to Jussi for winning "The Big D in the Desert" and welcome him into the 200 meter club with throws in the first and final rounds. He threw some amazing distance shots.<br />
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Erin Hemmings - 228 Meters - Monday Record Breaker Day<br />
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All in all it was an amazing event, I got to witness some distance world records and it was great to see Valarie reach her goal of claiming the Women's Distance World Record. I look forward to many more Big D in the Desert events and will go out of my way to attend this competition every year.<br />
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Next Tournament: Disc 'n Dat Bluegrass Open - Lexington, KYBig D in the Desert VIIItag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-04-01:1809917:BlogPost:1824222008-04-01T15:38:05.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
The season is now in full swing, we have played 3 tournaments thus far this year. Including a 7th Place at the Gentleman's Club Challenge in Las Vagas, a 12th Place finish at The Memorial National Tour Event in Phoenix, AZ and a 2nd Place at the Aloha Sushi Classic in Walla Walla, Washington. I shot some amazing rounds, including a hot round to start the year off in Vegas and my career best round of 1088 the last round in Phoenix. I am just looking for more consistency during my rounds to put…
The season is now in full swing, we have played 3 tournaments thus far this year. Including a 7th Place at the Gentleman's Club Challenge in Las Vagas, a 12th Place finish at The Memorial National Tour Event in Phoenix, AZ and a 2nd Place at the Aloha Sushi Classic in Walla Walla, Washington. I shot some amazing rounds, including a hot round to start the year off in Vegas and my career best round of 1088 the last round in Phoenix. I am just looking for more consistency during my rounds to put together some great tournaments as the tour is off to a great start.<br />
<br />
So my sister Valarie flew out to Oregon for the past few weeks to hang out, play some tournaments and train for "Big D in the Desert VIII" which the biggest distance competition in the sport. The event is hosted by Disc Golf Values / Innova at this dry lake bed about an hour outside of Las Vegas in Primm, Nevada on the stateline of California. There are 40 competitors from all over the world with throwers from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Japan. We will be throwing at approx. 3,000 ft elevation with wind conditions that on average range from 25-35 mph. These conditions are ideal to throw a disc a long way with these types of external factors. The current Men's World Record is held by Christian Sandstrom of Sweden at 250 meters (820 ft) and the Women's World Record is held by Jennifer Griffin of Virginia at 139 meters (456 ft).<br />
<br />
I have been training a majority of the winter months this off-season for this event, I have been wanting to attend this competition for years but it just seem to work out this year in the tour schedule. The past couple of weeks Val and I have been some weight training and really working on our throwing technique. We have spent hours in the turf practice fields at the University of Oregon throwing hundreds of drives into nets and it also offers plenty of space to unleash some large throws. Val has a legitimate shot at breaking and setting a new Women's World Record, this has been her motivation for the past couple of months as she was also doing lots of training over the winter. She is throwing over 400 ft at seas level which will equal throws of 475 - 500 in the desert. My personal goal is throw over 656 ft to join the 200 meter club and possibly blast a few to 214 meters (702 ft) which will place me in the top 10 of the longest throws ever recorded.<br />
<br />
The competition takes place on April 5th and 6th, with April 7th being an all out World Record Breaking Distance challenge day. It will be World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) sanctioned which means that all distances will be officially measured and recorded to determine World Records. Innova is also offering a $10,000 bonus for anyone that breaks the current World Record.<br />
<br />
It will be a blast, I have been looking forward to this for a long time, wish me luck.<br />
<br />
Keep posted for future blogs throughout the 2008 Touring Season.<br />
<br />
Next Tournament: Bowling Green Open National Tour Event - Bowling Green, KYThe Off-Seasontag:discgolfer.ning.com,2008-01-23:1809917:BlogPost:683622008-01-23T03:56:19.000ZAvery Jenkinshttp://discgolfer.ning.com/profile/AveryJenkins
<p>It has been long awaited, but its finally here. Its not like I wanted to season to end, but now that it has it is something to truly enjoy to the fullest. It is always good to give the body and mind a
break from the world of Disc Golf. I have to tell you that it wears on<br />
me sometimes but it is not something that I am complaining about in<br />
anyway because I am fortunate enough to do what I do for a living, I am<br />
truly grateful to be given the opportunity to throw discs for a current<br />
occupation.…</p>
<p>It has been long awaited, but its finally here. Its not like I wanted to season to end, but now that it has it is something to truly
enjoy to the fullest. It is always good to give the body and mind a<br />
break from the world of Disc Golf. I have to tell you that it wears on<br />
me sometimes but it is not something that I am complaining about in<br />
anyway because I am fortunate enough to do what I do for a living, I am<br />
truly grateful to be given the opportunity to throw discs for a current<br />
occupation. I have been very productive thus far this winter.</p>
<p>I traveled home for the holidays back to Ohio to get an opportunity to visit with family and friends, chances I don’t get to often during
the tour season, so I make the most of it when I can. I also played a<br />
small C-tier up in Michigan 2 weeks before Christmas, being my last<br />
chance to crack the 20K mark for the 2007 season, I was $213 short<br />
going in. I took down a 2 stroke win in the snow and ice to barely top<br />
off my 2007 cash earnings at the $20,037. It was just a small goal of<br />
mine which I set at the beginning of the season and I had to stick to<br />
it. It also happen to be Geoff Bennett’s 49th sactioned tournament of<br />
the season (not to mention his countless other non-sactioned<br />
tournaments). I was calling the record-breaker tournament because he<br />
topped my single-season record of 47 tournaments and edged out the<br />
current record of 48 tournament held by Feldberg in 2002. It was quite<br />
a feat considering that Dave and I traveled 10 monthes straight and<br />
played every week except of maybe 3 weekends. But to also keep in mind<br />
that a majority of those tournaments were 2 days and Bennett had the<br />
opportunity to play a bunch of one-day events in Michigan throughout<br />
the summer. Still a congradulations is definitely in order. I actually<br />
wanted to see him play another one before the end of the season to make<br />
it an even 50 events.</p>
<p>I had an amazing Holidays at home, played a bunch of golf, met up with a bunch of friends that I have not seen in a while and probably
ate too much of Mom’s home-cooking, but I have to get my fill when I<br />
get the opportunity to do so. I definitely did not get my yearly quota<br />
of snow that I wished for, it snowed really good for at least one<br />
Sunday which kept us inside watching football and movies all-day-long<br />
with the family. How I hoped for more snow, but none ever came until a<br />
few days after I left.</p>
<p>I returned back to Oregon for New Year’s Eve, which consisted of a huge block-party held in downtown Eugene with over 500 people. It was
hosted by our friend that works at a local winery and a local brewery<br />
that joined up to throw an amazing New Year’s Bash. I just know that<br />
2008 is going to be an amazing year.</p>
<p>So now that I am back in the Northwest for the winter I plan on preparing for this years touring season as it starts up in Las Vegas at
the end of February. Right around the corner. So I have been planning<br />
out the touring schedule, contacting all the sponsors, arranging all<br />
the international plane flights and training harder then ever to<br />
preform to the best of my abilities this year. I have taken up a pretty<br />
intense running schedule with my roommate Jeff whom is training to run<br />
a half-marathon in the Spring, so we definitely tracking some miles. We<br />
run everyday to every other day, never going more then two days of<br />
rest. We started at 3.5 mile runs and have gradually lengthened the<br />
runs until we peak at around 10 or so miles. I will tell you this going<br />
to be very tough because I am definitely not a runner at my size, but I<br />
am going to give it my all. This 2008 season is my drive and motivation<br />
that pushs me during these longer runs, “its all going to pay off in<br />
the summer” is what I keep telling myself. I have also been working out<br />
with bench, free-weights and my newly acquired bowflex. I have been<br />
going none stop since the 1st of the year and don’t plan on letting up<br />
any time soon, at least not until the last two weeks of Febuary when I<br />
get back to throwing again. The key is to strengthen your body in order<br />
to throw, I don’t believe that just throwing on its own is quite enough<br />
for me at this point in the game. I want to become the best player that<br />
I can be and this is the way to do it. I am highly anticipating the<br />
start of this Disc Golf season, looking forward to good things to come.</p>
<p>I always appreciate all questions and comments. Wishing everyone the best in 2008.</p>
<p>-Avery Jenkins #7495-</p>
<br/><p>****Also check out my Blog Page at Zonedriven.com for touring updates throughout the year****<br/></p>